Reunited A New Beginning
by nekonomiko
Summary: Continuation of a reincarnation fic from my last oneshot of "Waiting for You". Chapter Five loaded for your viewing pleasure. I'll get discouraged if no one read and reveiw. Mainly Aoshi/Misao, occasional appearances by other characters!
1. Prologue

=====================================================================

**Reunited – A new beginning**

------------------------- (A fanfic production from nekonomiko) ----------------------

=====================================================================  
  
_Do not leave me, _

_Nor bid me to forget your existence, _

_Seeking you whilst hourglass of sand were being turned again and again, _

_There will be no missed chances when we meet, _

_This time I will never let you go  
  
**-nekonomiko-  
**_  
**Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan Year: 2003 Autumn  
**  
Yellow flowers dotted the pavement along the streets of Shinjuku Tokyo, a chilling breeze signifying the coming of winter swept through as a group of school girls gathered for a casual afternoon gossip.  
  
"Ne Kaoru-chan. Look at this newest pop group." An excited girl with black hair and natural dark green highlights, her braided pigtail bounced up and down as her movements were wild and exaggerated.  
  
"You're right!" A pretty girl with navy blue hair and dark blue eyes addressed as Kamiya Kaoru exclaimed. "Their upcoming concert is on the 5th of November. That leaves us with only 2 more weeks to get the tickets in the stand-up area. Want to come along to queue for the seat Misao? We are having pre-exams break to prepare anyway and since we are just first year students, we can relax and begin queuing. This will guarantee us a greater chance to grab the tickets. Ne Misao?"  
  
The energetic girl namely called Misao bit her lip and considered. "Well. I have to help Jiya in managing the restaurant business during the day and I am under strict instructions to always maintain a B average even for the first year. Gomen Kaoru-chan!"  
  
Kaoru's disposition fell for a moment at Misao's explanation but picked up again when a perfect solution (well it seems perfect to her) flashed across her mind. "Let's tell your grandfather that you are coming over to my place to sleep overnight after we have a study session? This way we can queue together and have a study session to ensure that our grades won't drop." She focused her big blue eyes pleadingly at Misao.  
  
The girl in question took one look at the magazine featuring the idol group and glanced up briefly into her best friend's eyes. Finally she sighed and gave in. "Sure. I'll do whatever you suggest, but if anything crops up I will just blame it on you."  
  
Kaoru grinned. "Daijoubu. When have any of my schemes gone wrong."  
  
Misao shuddered as other of their close group of friends laughed. "I don't think I want to recall."  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Shinomori Aoshi stepped out of the plane as it landed on Nerima Airport. The lively scene of people bustling around and the occasional touching moments of lovers, families, friends and well-wishes crowded the brightly- lit reception area as the man's tall stature did not deter his progress from cutting through the sea of people. Women swooned at his deep-set and well cut planes of his handsome features and men stood in great wariness as the way he held himself, cool and aloof to reach the luggage collection conveyor belt.  
  
A small body crashed upon Aoshi. As he slid off his dark pair of sunglasses, he ran through his silky black locks with a cool demeanor before looking down at the culprit whom had delayed a few seconds of his precious time. The little girl not older than age ten stiffened in dread of admonishment or worse, to drag her towards her parents currently at the counter talking to the airline staff. She gazed into the light blue orbs and forgot about her fear. "Mister, you have blue eyes! Are you a gaijin?"  
  
Aoshi was taken aback at the forthrightness of a naïve child who had dared to speak to him in such a manner. He squatted down to her eye level and ruffled her black curls. "Iie. I am true blood Japanese. My eyes have got nothing to do with my heritage." He tried to muster up a smile but his facial muscles had long forgotten how to perform this action since the tender age of six.  
  
The little girl tilted her head to the side and spoke with a sweetest grin, "Well, I think it is wonderful to have your eye colour. All the people around me have either black or dark brown eyes. I think they are boring."  
  
He marveled at the simple child-likeness of the girl. "How old are you?"  
  
"Nine. I will be reaching ten years old in two months time though." She lifted her pointed chin in sheer pride.  
  
Aoshi was about to speak again when the child's mother came to pick her daughter up. "Ara. Gomen kudasai. My daughter hasn't been giving you too much trouble, has she?" She absently stroked a feathery lock of hair slipping out of the pined up fringe from her daughter's face.  
  
Deep in Aoshi's heart, he felt a secret envy and poignancy at this display of motherly care and devotion. "Iiya. She is no trouble at all. You have a lovely daughter."  
  
The mother looked up from her daughter then and realized that the young man she had been talking to was in fact even beyond comparison in the looks department with the current artistes and movie idols she had seen. She gasped and Aoshi merely nodded to her briefly and waved farewell to her daughter before continuing his journey to his intended destination.  
  
"Sayonara, ni-chan!"  
  
================================ (End of prologue) ==================================  
  
Yup... This is my newest fan-fiction... :-P I know. People have been accusing me the lack of updates for all my series and my explanation is... I can't help it can I? Previously when I was a student, I could spend a lot of time only on school work, friends and on the internet. It is being an adult that caused me to be so busy with other commitments and dedication. All the working people should know how it feels. Just as well, I promise to finish my stories one way or another. Till the next time, just drop me a review and let us all be responsible readers and writers (I know this applies to myself too to update more often)... ne?  
  
Kisses and hugs,

nekonomiko


	2. Chapter One

======================================================

**Reunited – A new beginning**

------------------------ (A fanfic production from nekonomiko)

======================================================  
  
_Sands of time like precious diamonds; _

_Yet diamonds can be bought, pursued and dug out with our hands; _

_Who is to reverse the every grain of sand in the hourglass slipping by; _

_To return to the lost times we had once shared?_

******nekonomiko **

Misao shivered as she clutched the sleeves of her blue sweater trying to find the last bit of warmth. A yellow orange blossom drifted down from the tree as it shed leaves to prepare for winter.  
  
"Remind me why am I here with you to sit freezing my butt off in this weather again, Kaoru-chan?" Misao asked in the sweetest voice that she can muster.  
  
Kaoru cautiously shrunk herself a little further from the potential danger she has placed herself in for proposing such a ridiculous idea to wait for the ticket booth to open for the sales of the band they had decided to fancy after reading the magazine article.  
  
"Eto... Because we have been childhood friends since we were born." Misao contemplate for a few moments before a sinister grin crossed her pixie face.  
  
"Nice try. However, too bad, I am still going to kill you. I will grant you a choice of death though. Strangulation or suffocation, take your pick." Misao advanced towards her menacingly.  
  
"Iiya!" Kaoru tried to fend off the hands of Misao as a red-headed teenager came across the scene of two girls in a tight embrace.  
  
"Ah. Sumanu de gozaru." The youth who have stumbled across this scene stammered and backed off. Misao recognized him as their fellow school mate and he was in the same kendo club as Kaoru. She slyly peered over at the petrified girl still caught by surprised at the sudden appearance of their sempai.  
  
"Oh ho. Someone has a secret crush on Himura-san!" Misao was quick to catch on the implication of her best friend's mortification. Kaoru flushed deep red and denied it vehemently.  
  
"Mou. Of course not. Just think that rumours will be spread to the far corners about us being lesbians!" Kaoru tried to hide her blush to no avail. The redness has spread even down to her ears. 

Misao begun to chant to Kaoru consternation. "Kaoru-chan love Himura. First comes kiss, then comes marriage, then she comes with a baby carriage." The blush was beyond containment by now as Kaoru turns her nose up with a miff.

"Say all you want. Kenshin is a honourable sempai whom I respect." Misao snickered and made kissing sounds at the background to the point Kaoru glared and stomped off.

The braided haired girl shrugged as she knew that her best friend's temper though legendary amongst their close group of friends, was a short fuse that will be blown over by the next morning.

"Ja ne!" Misao gave a big wave and went on her way to the restaurant Aoiya, which has been around since the formation of modern Japan, to hang out and enjoy their famous tea specials that she particularly favours.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Aoiya, ****Tokyo**** branch – Shinjuku**

"Sumimasen. Can I have one set of toriyaki lunch set and your tea specials for today please?" Misao announced her arrival at in her familiarly cheerful and brash manner.

"Misao-chan!" An elderly man came and pounced on the unexpected victim… er… customer and surrogate grand-daughter with a tight hug, nearly squeezing out all the breath in her.

"Jiya! Can't breathe" Misao's arms flailed in vain as the chuckling waitress Ochika and Omasu came to her rescue. "Okina! This is not the way to behave in front of our valued guests! Look you are scaring all the customers away with your embarrassing behaviour!"

The old man tried to pout but failed to appease their annoyance. "I was merely trying to show our little Misao some hospitality!" The pointed glares and the added distracted of a group of giggling schoolgirls passing by before the restaurant's main entrance was all that the resident lecher needed to leave the restaurant and pursue his daily routine of harassing the young girls.

Misao was shown to her favourite seat in the corner and was half-way through her meal and solving the derivatives of a particular equation when the afternoon sun shone through the doorway and causing a newly arrived guest's shadow falling on her homework. Curiosity stirred up, she snuck up a glance at the customer and was momentarily struck dumb by the sheer piercing blue orbs of ice focusing on her ocean blue ones.

**_(Flashback)_**

_"Aoshi-sama, Misao-chan will always wait for you."_

_"Aa" A tall figure shifted his head slightest to acknowledge her words._

_"Aoshi-sama, pinky-swear that you will come back with the other Oniwabanshuu!" A little girl of six held out her smallest finger as the man leaned down and curled his finger with hers in a seal of promise. _

_The little girl stood and waved at the group of departing friends._

**_(Another flashback)_**

_A kodachi was stabbed through an elegantly clad form._

_A man with eyes resembling frozen lakes in winter holding one end of the weapon his eyes closing in anguish as he withdrew the sword and the red blood of life splurge out on the ground beneath._

_The stabbed bride gasped as tears flowed on her cheeks._

_Then the bride's face turned._

**_(End of flashback)_**

Misao gasped as the vision of the bride's face turned towards her, it was the face of her very own.

================================ (End of Chapter One) ==================================


	3. Chapter Two

**Reunited – A new beginning (Chapter Two)**

------------------------- (A fanfic production from nekonomiko) ----------------------

Across the boundaries of time;

_Reaching beyond all limits and difficulties;_

_Do not give up on me my love;_

_For this one-in-a-million chance of opportunity_

**~nekonomiko~**

A slight feminine figure shuffled her limbs as she wandered near a stream that flowed serenely down the slight slope. The gentle swishing of water was an especially comforting balm to a city-grown soul; Misao inhaled a deep breath of fresh air as she pondered upon the strange man who left after she had lost consciousness.

_Those images… surely they are just a figment of her over-active imagination. Think of the teenage hormones that would just link any good-looking man to a secret fantasy of any unattached girl. Yeah, right. I really need to get a boyfriend… or a visit to a shrink. _

Despite mentally reassuring herself that the eerie flashbacks were nothing more than illusions from fatigue, somewhere in the corner of her mind, the sixteen year old was unable to dismiss them simply. Her shaky right hand reached into the depth of her jeans pocket and retrieves a white silk handkerchief embroidered with initials – S.A. The mysterious customer had laid the wet fabric on her forehead after her rare display of unconsciousness and had taken leave when she had awoken.

_Hmm… I wonder who that gorgeous man is. Perhaps a destined lost love coming back in search of his beloved woman…_

Rustling sounds of the disturbed forest greenery startled Misao's daydreams. She quickly shove the white cloth into her pocket once more as she spun rapidly to confront the person who dared to enter the secret hiding place she had stumbled upon when young.

Ironically, the very same man Misao had been pondering on, intruded her sanctuary and into her line of sight.

"Ohaiyou gozaimasu." Shinomorii Aoshi nodded, without any significant inflection of tone.

"Oh... Ohaiyou."

The second encounter of ocean green eyes meeting icy blue ones was no less impact to the girl in question. Her heart had stopped for a few seconds and was now beating double time to catch up on the slight lapse.

The stunning visage of Aoshi was impressive, to say the least. With strapping six feet tall, a height that was uncommon amongst Asian men, a sculptured face of noble bearing that comes from fairytales, Aoshi step further into the morning light.

"How are you feeling now?" he intoned without any display of emotions.

"Pretty well." Misao stammered. "Must be a lack of certain vitamins from my monthly cycle." She tried to laugh offhandedly before realizing what it sounded to a complete male stranger, particularly one that looked like Adonis in the flesh.

"Never mind." Misao flushed in embarrassment.

A brief quirk of his facial muscle that nobody is ever capable to read, Aoshi stretched out his hand.

"There is something I need to collect back from you. My handkerchief was a gift from family."

"Ah yes…" She quickly searched her pocket for the silky cloth as she ranted internally. _Have he seen her holding the handkerchief like a dumb girl infatuated? _

Upon contact of his larger hands with her smaller ones, a electric shock ran though Misao's body. She nearly snatched back her hand and wanted to bang her head for reacting strangely.

Aoshi calmly reached out and took back the handkerchief. With a silent nod of thanks, he turned and disappeared into the dark shadows of the forestry. Only a slight twitch of facial muscle indicated any disturbance on the normally stoic face. It seems that the effects of their hand contact was not just experienced by Misao alone.


	4. Chapter Three

**Reunited – A new beginning (Chapter Three)**

------------------------- (A fanfic production from nekonomiko) ----------------------

_Merciless cycle that repeats time and again_

_Attempts to escape a fate pre-determined_

_Through a veil of hatred and pain_

_Surging forth new threads of future from remains_

**~nekonomiko~**

Bustling streets of Ginza in Tokyo wore down the fiery energy of Makimachi Misao as she pushed her way through the well-dressed crowds gathered for the festive O'matsurii celebration. Her mouth was never once stopping to curse underbreath the injustice caused her Jiji, otherwise known as Kawashima Nenji, an elderly man fond of wine and young women.

She struggled with the packages of necessities for operating Aoiya, an expensive inn handed down by generations before, Misao tried hard to resist the tempting smells of the nearby stalls selling fried noodles and takoyaki (octopus balls). A waft of sweet banana in chocolate syrup was finally the one last straw that broke the camel's back as she concede defeat, decided to put aside her plan to slim down to pursue a more enjoyable feast.

'_Besides, I can always start tomorrow,'_ Misao reasoned.

She unceremoniously relieved her arms of the various burdens and was in the midst of indulging in the chocolate banana and caramel apple when she felt a wrinkled old hand grip her arm tightly, nearly startling her to drop with precious goodies.

"Come, young lady. I will tell you what lies ahead in your future." The wrinkled mouth smiled, revealing a set of yellow teeth and sallow breath. Misao tried to loosen herself from the grasp but the strength of the old woman was unusual as she was being tugged to a darken store in a corner which Misao had often avoided due to its eerie atmosphere.

Catching sight of a friendly middle-aged shopkeeper where the Aoiya bought the supplies of tofu, Misao simply called out, "Oba ji-san. Please help me look after the packages!" The supplier waved with a smile, acknowledging her request before the teenage girl was dragged out of sight.

A soft jingling sound echoed throughout in the dank room as the hairs at the back of Misao's neck stood on end. Various weapons ranging from the Bakumatsu to Edo era lined the cracked walls of store. Misao approached a set of ninja darts and an intricate tanto with an intricate family crest embedded the knives, her hands seemingly withdrawing the sharp blade out of the sheath in familiar fashion.

The mysterious old woman caught the young lady's fascination and murmured in her ear, "That was a lovely set of blades you're holding. A tragic story befell on the last owner during the Edo era, a story of love, hope and madness that holds a curse beyond time. Would lassie here like to purchase the threads of time?"

Misao shuddered at the grainy voice that spoke ominous words. Yet, the weapons called out to her, a strange dread to imagine others who would buy or even touch the kunai and tanto. With a quivering voice, Misao asked, "How much does the set cost? Surely such antiques are expensive."

A cackling laugh squeezed out of the old throat, the old woman merely quote, "A token sum for the intended and rightful owner. How about five thousand yen?"

Misao sputtered in astonishment. "What! That would be cheating you. Even a decent set of kitchen blades from a supermarket would cost more!"

Another chuckle from the elderly woman affirmed, "No. No. Any higher in price would cause these treasures to weep in sorrow for their destined owner to regard them at a price. Here, take them before I change my mind."

Misao hesitantly stretched her hands to receive the ninja weapons and weight comfortably settled as the store owner thrust them into her hands. "Thank you." She mumbled and bowed in embarrassment and gratitude, as her hands caressed the worn leather that carried the antique blades.

Twinkling of the beady eyes soften as the old woman replied, "May you forage ahead this time round." The wrinkled hands squeeze Misao's forearms in affection.

Not understanding the remark, the new owner of the ninja weapons cleared her throat to ask, "About this reading of fortune, the reason you brought me here in the first place. Where's your booth?"

The elderly cackled again, "My job is nearly done, young lass. Now heed my words, learn to listen to your heart this time round. Do not choose an easier path simply because it hurts less. Then, future will be re-written and break away from the past."

After pecking on the smooth cheek, the old lady winked and pushed Misao out of the store.

By the time Misao recovered from her trance-like state, she was standing out on the streets under the bright sunlight. The warmth dispelled the slight shakiness as Misao looked back to where the store was located. Only a run-down empty shop space was left as the old woman and the store vanished into thin air.

She questioned if what took place earlier was real until she felt the binding realism from the weight of the ninja weapons. Clutching the acquired package, Misao tucked this mysterious encounter to the corner of her mind and took off running back to thank the friendly tofu seller and retrieved the supplies before returning home.

(To be continued)


	5. Chapter Four

**Reunited – A new beginning (Chapter Four)**

------------------------- (A fanfic production from nekonomiko) ----------------------

_I try to reach out to grasp the slippery trail_

_To cling onto the threads that leads me back _

_Searching for a way to entwine the divided lines of fate_

_To the one that my beloved at the end of route awaits_

**~nekonomiko~**

Misao delicately fingered the blade of the antique throwing knives she had gotten earlier from the mysterious old woman. Even though there are many points regarding the afternoon incident that would have stirred up her usually acute sense of wariness and danger, she cannot help but be drawn to the strangely familiarity that the interactions had somehow developed.

A tiny slip of her lack of concentration draws out a few droplets of blood on Misao's forefinger. "Ouch! That hurts."

She set aside the weapon to search half-heartedly for a band-aid in her side lamp table as she kept an eye upon the intricate engraving on the silver blade. The characters formed the characters "Misao". She wondered if it could just be a strong coincidence that the previous owner of the kunai had the same name as she did.

The dark clouds covered the moon in the night sky as her room sank into darkness. Misao suddenly felt her head getting heavy and despite her best efforts to struggle against the beckoning drowsiness, her head dropped into her soft pillow into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Large warm arms surrounded her body as Misao felt the deep rumbling of a man's chest behind her back. She saw an enormous man who was grinning in affection towards her to attract her attention._

"_Look Misao-chan!" From his mouth, huge ball of flames engulf the shrieking bird-like creature tied up in the tree. _

"_Kuso! Watch where you're breathing your fire, you gigantic ball of lard!" The continuous curses rained at the acrobatic fire-breather below. With a swift flick of his fingers, little pellets of metal ball strike heavily onto the sensitive points of the human body. The battle continued on in tune with the mixed growls and curses as another person emerged from the shadow. His striped arms in bands of red and black was suddenly sprung on by the tenacious grip of Misao._

"_Hannya-kun!" Another rumble of deep amusement came from her back. Hannya dropped into his deep bow as the tall figure approached him. _

_Shinomorii Aoshi nodded in acknowledgement. His young age belies his talent to lead the Oniwanbanshu to serve the Shogun had seen those that initially had mocked his inexperience to keep their silence in defeated respect. _

_Misao in childish delight began the latest show of her training lessons in kempo. She boosted, "Aoshi-sama said that he would teach me kunai throwing next! Then I can join all of you in Oniwanbanshu!" A silent shaking of head from Aoshi signaled Hannya to just yield to Misao's whims. _

"_That's great, Misao-sama! I bet that after you have master the skill, you can beat Beshimi hands down." _

_Misao puffed up her small chest in pride and she run to the tree to yell out to the captive in the treetops, "I'm going to beat the stuffing out of you. Hannya-kun told me that I could defeat you easily after I learn from Aoshi-sama that kunai and darts throwing." _

_She extravagantly executed a flurry of kicks and punches as Beshimi yelled out, "Let me down first. You just tricked me to step into the trap you have set up in the first place. If you don't let me down, I'll never help me catch another sparrow!" _

_Misao stuck her tongue out in mischievous defiance as she run quickly back to the main house of Aoiya. "Nyah! Catch me if you can."_

_Hannya upon seeing Misao leaving the compound lowered his volume, "Aoshi-sama, have you told Misao that we'll be leaving for the war in Edo one week later?" The lack of reply confirms his suspicion. "Misao is going to be very sad if she learns that we are leaving without her." _

"_I know." Aoshi only murmured as he gazed into the Aoiya that Misao disappeared into. "I know."_

* * *

The fluttering of sea-green eyes blinked away the last trace of dream Misao had. The faint throbbing of the cut on her forefinger triggered a pounding headache as Misao rose up with a sigh. "Weird dreams seem to come very frequently nowadays."

Dragging her footsteps to the front door of the Shin-Aoiya, she once again pondered on the similarities of dreamscape and her life.

Same name, similar name of Aoiya and Aoshi's appearance in the dream, surely that would just be mixing her girlish crush with what she would have wanted into a dream right?

The refreshing breeze of the night swept through the backyard as Misao took in a deep breath of air. A rustling in the trees alerted her as she saw a dark shadowy man crept towards the window of Aoiya.

"Damn burglar." Misao muttered as she act on reflex to swipe one of the kunai tucked in her belt to fling with dead accuracy at her intended target's calf muscle. The string of curses from the injured burglar stopped was Misao grinned in anticipation. "It's your unlucky night," she cracked her knuckles. "You should have found another house to steal from." With great relish, she moved into a combat stance and sent him to deep unconsciousness.

The police arrived and commended on Misao's bravery in capturing a wanted man for previous burglaries. Misao gave her statement and saw the police off. She stared at her hands, wondering how she managed to fight off and confront the burglar even though she knew not any kunai throwing…

* * *

(To be continued)


	6. Chapter Five

**Reunited – A new beginning (Chapter Five)**

------------------------- (A fanfic production from nekonomiko) ----------------------

_The reset button hit to reverse missed chances_

_Reactivates a racing clock that waits for no man _

_Seeking for an opportunity to set all wrongs right_

_Grasping a spinning mad lost of control once again_

**~nekonomiko~**

* * *

"Are you finished?" Misao slammed her fists in great impatience and frustration. The poor police constable stuttered, trying to sound soothing in the face of once young lady on the verge of losing her tantrum.

"Look, I'm not the burglar here. Get it? Victim. Let's spell it out all together. V.I.C.T.I.M." Misao dragged her voice in a most condescending tone. Her target was nodding away, flustered as he attempt to type down her mysterious account of overcoming a well-known thief that even the local police authorities are having some trouble tracking.

A dry scoff followed by a powerful whiff of nicotine choked her in the middle of another tirade. "Ahou! How could a small petty thief took you people months to even identify and yet one small weasel took no less than one night to catch him? I think I have the misfortune of having idiots as subordinates"

"Yeah! All of you are idiots that lose out to me who is a…. Wait a minute! Who the hell are you calling a weasel?" Misao spun to see an arrogant smirk stuck on a cigarette-smoking detective.

"Ah! The weasel speaks! Never thought I would see the day." Misao glared, indignant that the offender hardly spared her a cursory glance, as if dismissing a noisy buzz of a fly at hand. "Yare, yare!" He calmly dodged her efforts of landing a punch at his ever-smirking face, as he feinted a yawn of boredom.

Misao panted profusely with exhaustion after the short but intense workout of 'playing tag' with the police officer Fujiwara, otherwise known as Saitou Hajime. Her jade blue eyes burnt with resolve to teach him a good lesson, *coughs*… provided she managed to ever get him off-guard.

A brief cursory glance at the case file, Saitou mumbled, "Interesting… You're the heiress of Shin-Aoiya. So, how is your Grandfather nowadays?"

Misao narrowed her eyes in suspicion, "How would you know about that old geezer?"

Saitou leaned down and murmured one word, "Oniwanbanshu." Misao upon hearing closed her mouth from asking any further questions. His gloved hand stubbed off the lighted cigarette in his mouth, Saitou's face lifted in a sinister grin, "Tell Kashiwazaki Nenji that I have a special proposal for the Oniwanbanshu… A chance to cooperate with the government and the elite police force." Misao leaned forward intrigued as Saitou knocked her forehead lightly with his knuckles. "In private, baka weasel." Misao rubbed the forming bruise sheepishly as she followed closely behind the mysterious head of police force into the enclosed interview room.

* * *

The elderly ex-okashiira of Oniwanbanshu and owner of the Neo-Aoiya, Kashiwazaki Nenji, otherwise know as Okina, blinked his eyes in amazement. "Sorry Misao-chan. Repeat what you said once more?"

Misao puffed up her flat chest in pride, "We are being offered a chance to capture Takeda Kanryuu, the chief mastermind of Kyoto smugglers in drugs, one of the kingpins in the underworld mafia of Japan."

Okina furrowed his brow, "You do understand that our spy networks have long been discharged and most of us are retired from the old days of glory right?"

Misao nodded and enthusiastically defended her plan, "We maybe hiding behind in the shadows of restaurant catering and hoteliers, that doesn't mean that the members of Oniwanbanshu have lost touch with espionage and the onmitsu skills we were taught from young. Just the other day, I overheard the elders from other branches of Aoiya discussing about their guests' dirty laundry, even with the modern technology of installing hidden cameras and microphones! And you cannot deny that Okon and Omasu still exercise their seduction skills on daily basis with the male customers! Think about it, Oniwanbanshu never really made its exit!"

Hesitant, Okina peered under his bushy white brows, "If you are able to convince the majority of members to revive of the spy networks, I have no further issues. Besides," Okina's gleamed knowingly, "You have already signed the agreement with the Mibu's wolf, didn't you?"

Misao grinned sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders, "My jiya knows me the best."

The old spy sighed in resignation and hugged Misao in a bone-crushing hug of affection and punishment as she struggled to push him away in grasping breath, "All for my pretty little Misao-chan!"

* * *

(Later at night, in the quarters of Aoiya)

"Send a search team on the lookout for Shinomorii Aoshi." The old shrewdness of Kashiwazaki Nenji shone through his wizened old eyes, rarely seen by his beloved adpotive granddaughter, Makimachi Misao. "I have a secret letter to pass to our ex-okashiira."

The mobilized troop of spies bowed low, "Hai." With only a blink of an eye, they disappeared into the dark shadows of Aoiya.

Okina leaned back in exhaustion, his old age glimpsed through his usual jovial self and commanding front before his subordinates, "One can only hope for the best in this new mission that my darling Misao has taken up."

* * *

(To be continued)


End file.
